RomoBall Fantasy Preview - 11th Edition (101-110)

The Testing Era can only be viewed as a success. In an industry as corrupt and top heavy as any other, baseball’s belated drug testing policy has restored a pure environment on the field, which had become as skewed as team payrolls. When attempting to somehow quantify the impact performance enhancing drugs have had on the game, the usual thought is of Barry Bonds or Mark McGwire, sluggers who went from great to otherworldly at about the midpoint of their careers. Or maybe Roger Clemens, who racked up Cy Youngs after his athletic prime. What we must also consider is the pitcher who wasn’t juicing having to face Bonds, or the hitter who was playing it straight facing Clemens or Pettite. Every player’s performance was impacted during the decade-long Steroid Era. Now that players are tested and suspended for doping, talent rules once again, and whether it’s a direct result or not, this is the most talent-rich period in baseball history.

101. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B – AZ. Everything changed for the D-backs on August 1st, 2011 when they brought Goldschmidt up from double-A. Everyone noticed on August 2nd when he took Tim Lincecum deep for his first major league homer. An 8th round pick out of Texas State University, Goldschmidt is a diamond in the rough for the snakes. He clubbed 30 HR in the pitcher-friendly Southern League before his callup, launched 8 in August-September, and hit .438 with 2 HR and 5 RBI against the Brewers in the playoffs. Paul and Justin Upton will form one of the better duos in the National League; owners who take Upton early will do well to hold off on 1B and take Paul late.

102. Dustin Ackley, 2B – SEA. If you’re asking yourself why this guy reminds you of a lefthanded Pedroia, maybe it’s because his name is Dustin. Or maybe you’re on to something. The Mariners’ choice with the 2nd overall pick in the 2009 draft, Ackley is already here and in a big way. Dustin west heads into the 2012 season with the second base job all to himself after a strong rookie half season. Ackley is a line drive hitter with 20-20 potential and the ability to hit well above .300 as a 2B.

103. Adam Wainwright, SP – STL. Adam Wainwright is all the way back from Tommy John surgery and is currently on track to be the Red Birds’ Opening Day starter. From 2008-2010, Wainwright dominated opposing hitters, holding them to a batting average while averaging wins and Ks.

104. Tommy Hanson, SP – ATL. Tommy’s amazing journey began in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1986. He didn’t become a rock musician, but moved to California and was a sensation at his high school. All extended Tommy metaphors aside, after getting caught looking too many times a rival college team made t-shirts about Hanson’s curveball that said “we’re not gonna take it.”

105. Drew Storen, RP – WAS. The Nationals selected Drew Storen 10th overall in the 2009 draft, the same year they drafted Strasburg number 1. Since that day, Strasburg amazed us, went away, then amazed us again. In that same time, Storen experienced the same meteoric rise in the Washington system, only without the injury. Drew was 43/48 in save situations last year, and a rotation with Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann, Edwin Jackson and John Lannan will provide even more chances in 2012.

106. Andre Ethier, OF – LAD. Andre has been less than giant over the past two seasons, tallying 23 HR in 2010 and just 11 in 487 at bats in 2011. Now totally healthy following knee surgery, dinner with Andre should taste a lot better in 2012.

107. Josh Johnson, SP – MIA. With JJ it’s pretty simple. If he’s healthy, he’s an ace. Josh was on a Cy Young pace in 2011 before a shoulder injury shut him down after just nine starts. He’s now had 10 months to rehab and is looking strong early in camp, much to the delight of new skipper Ozzie Guillen.

108. Jesus Montero, Util – SEA. Felix Hernandez, Michael Pineda and Doug Fister would have made a nice front three in pitcher- friendly SafeCo. Instead, Mariners’ GM Jack Zduriencik (pronounced Za-ren-sik) sent Mr. Fister to Detroit for Casper Wells, Charlie Furbush, Chance Ruffin and Francisco Martinez, and parleyed Pineda into the Yankees’ top prospect Montero. The other players involved in the deal notwithstanding, a Pineda-for-Montero swap was great for both clubs. The Mariners are in desperate need of legitimate thump in their lineup and the Yankees have come up short in recent years due to pitching, not offense. Yankees GM Brian Cashman recently said of Montero, “he may turn out to be the best player I’ve ever traded.” The Mariners plan to use Jesus at catcher once or twice a week, so he should gain eligibility behind the dish before May.

109. David Freese, 3B – STL. Mr. Freese got hotter as the year went on in 2011 and by the time he was done a World Series was in the cards. Freese knocked in a record 21 runs in 63 postseason at bats while hitting a cool .397 with 5 HR and sent LaRussa and Pujols out with a bang. At 28, David is a zygote compared with teammates Berkman, Beltan and Furcal, and is the best bet among them for a full and productive season.

110. Cameron Maybin, CF – SD. The Marlins loaded up in the offseason adding Reyes, Buehrle and Bell, but we can only wonder how stacked they might be if they had gotten any return for Miguel Cabrera. At the risk of sounding like someone saying “the Marlins got nothing back for Miguel Cabrera,” the Marlins got super-prospects Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller for Miguel Cabrera. Andrew Miller defined the term bonus baby and was ultimately shipped to Boston for farmhand Dustin Richardson, and after falling short of expectations Cameron was dealt to San Diego for Edward Mujica and minor leaguer Ryan Webb. A pessimist would say the 2012 Marlins only have Mujica to show for Miguel (and Dontrelle Willis), and an even more negative view might be that given the fact that they were traded away due to their poor performances, the Marlins got less than nothing for Miguel. That’s the prospect game. They scored when they got Hanley and Anibal Sanchez for Beckett and Lowell and they bricked on Miguel. Meanwhile, after 3 years of Cameron Maybi in Florida, he had Padres fans saying yes, with a .264 average and 40 steals in 2012.

RomoBall Fantasy Preview - Tenth Edition (91-100)

Every year, a few former first rounders slip into the middle rounds for reasons other than their age or sharp and sudden decline. This year, owners have the ability to stock their shelves with former firsties like canned peaches. The question is, should they? Hanley and Reyes have surely been taken in the top 5 and will likely be drafted in the teens and 20′s, but both guys are big risks. A-Rod and Carl Crawford used to call the first round home and this year will go much later, but Alex gets tested now and Carl’s wrist is a lingering problem. The right side of the Phillies’ infield represents the last chance to snag a previous perennial and as the last two to go, Utley and Howard offer the most value among the former elites.

91. John Axford, RP – MIL. With a 2.48 ERA and .204 opponents’ batting average against him in 2010, Axford didn’t ask for the closer’s role. He took it. He followed his 24-save rookie season with 46 saves in 48 chances with a 1.95 ERA and 86 K’s in 73.2 innings and held opposing hitters to a .212 average. He’ll continue to get tons of hitters hacking, and starters Gallardo, Greinke and Marcum should produce a good amount of ninth inning leads again in 2012.

92. Mark Reynolds, 1B/3B – BAL. In his first year in Baltimore, Mark managed to keep his strikeout total under 200 for the first time in his four-year career. Just two years removed from hitting .260/44/102/24 for the D-Backs, Reynolds clubbed 37 HR in his first season in the pitching-heavy AL East. Still just 28, if he ever gets it together pitch selection-wise he goes from dangerous to scary.

93. Brett Gardner, LF – NYY. Gardner got off to a slow start for the Yanks in 2011, hitting .194 with four steals in April. He eventually got it going, snagging 28 bases over a three-month stretch while hitting .301, .317 and .289 in May, June and July. 47 and 49 steals in the last two years have made Gardner a constant in the Yankee lineup. Even without a move to the leadoff spot, Brett’s elite speed and knowledge of the metric system give him a legitimate shot at 60+ swipes.

94. Kevin Youkilis, 1B/3B – BOS. Kevin went from you kill us to you’re killin’ me at some point in 2008. In three years since, he has averaged 380 at bats, and last year his injuries affected his performance for the first time, as his average dipped to a career-low .258. If new skipper Bobby Valentine can get 1000 combined at bats from Youkilis and Crawford, he’ll still be managing ballgames in October.

95. Matt Wieters, C – BAL. We wish Matt had a Twitter account. If he did, we could gently point out, first that we’re big fans, and second that he happened to maul to a .339 clip with a 1.124 OPS batting righty last year, and hit just .237 from the left side with a .665 OPS. Plenty of righty bats are actually better facing RHP, which begs the question of how dominating Matt could be if he went to hitting righty full time.

96. Chase Utley, 2B – PHI. Every second baseman in the league used to chase Utley. From 2005-2009, Chase either hit .300, hit 30+ HR or drove in 100+ runs, and in his career-best 2006 season he did all three. Now 33, it’s possible that Utley has gotten old young, as he’s failed to top 425 at bats in each of the past two seasons. The Phillies plan is to go easy on him in spring training so he’s fresher during the year. Our plan is to wait on him until at least the 10th round just in case he returns to form.

97. Ryan Howard, 1B – PHI. Ryan Howard started out as a temp at the Scranton branch. He started the fire, invented a website, became the youngest VP in Dunder-Mifflin history, ripped off the company, hit rockbottom and eventually got redemption. While TV Ryan Howard’s rise, fall and resurrection may not be an exact analogy for the Phillies’ Ryan Howard, the parallels are there. While we’re at it, the creative minds at The Office must be baseball fans, specifically the 1986 NLCS. It’s all about Mike Scott bossing around Dwight and Darryl.

98. Jimmy Rollins, SS – PHI. For the last 11 years we’ve enjoyed watching Rollins band the Phillies together. In ten of those seasons Jimmy has gotten more than 550 at bats. Sure, .268/16/30 isn’t spectacular, but he should lead off again this year and will be followed by a string of proven RBI men.

99. Alexei Ramirez, SS – CWS. Things seem to affect Alexei. Winning baseball and, to a large extent winning fantasy baseball is about being good enough that you’re better than the weather. You’re better than the injuries. You’re better than the blown calls. You’re better than the bad bounces. Every team has those. Every player has those. Alexei has the natural ability to be one of the top offensive shortstops in baseball, we just don’t know what effect the departure of Ozzie Guillen and Joey Cora will have on him. Our guess is he’ll be more relaxed under new manager Robin Ventura, which is always a good thing for hitters.

100. Shane Victorino, CF – PHI. We know there will be good fantasy years to be had in Philadelphia, we’re just not positive who will lead the way. Of the Phils that will slip in drafts, Victorino may be the best value. He’s younger than Utley, Howard and Rollins, is on a contract year, and has 20-30 potential if he can keep himself on the field for 550 at bats.

RomoBall Fantasy Preview - Ninth Edition (81-90)

Over the course of the season, bounces and breaks will go for you and against you. Games get rained out. Players get tossed. Games go into extra innings. Umpires blow calls. Official scorers are biased. With so many pivotal moments of the fantasy season up to pure chance, the one thing we can ensure goes our way is the name of our team. As students of karma, we take the “walk softly and carry big sticks” approach to smack-talk, and recommend a similar kill-you-with-kindness approach when picking a team name. Points are scored at various levels and to various degrees among our peers, with the goal of securing a permanent residence at the corner of Humorous and Original. Variations of baseball team names are bran flakes on our scale; better to go with a play on players’ names, Bourn/Uggla, for example as both a Conan-esque self-jab and a thinly veiled Frost/Nixon reference. Ok, maybe not that thinly veiled. Film (Little Neddy Goes to War), music (Instant Shwarma), obscure television shows (Daktari) can provide some great team names, and any notion to reference WKRP in Cincinnati should be met with little resistance. Dr. Johnny Fever sounds like a great fantasy team name. It’s that easy.

81. Gio Gonzalez, SP – WAS. For White Sox GM Kenny Williams, Gio is the one that got away. Twice. He’s also the one he got. Twice. Williams snared Gio out of high school as a supplemental round pick in 2004, then traded him with Aaron Rowand for Jim Thome in 2005. Williams then reacquired Gonzalez from Philadelphia, along with Gavin Floyd in exchange for Freddy Garcia. Before he could make a major league start for Chicago he was dealt to Oakland in 2008 as the primary piece in the package that brought back Nick Swisher. Don’t let Gonzalez get away from you. Once. He’s posted nearly identical seasons averaging 200 IP, 3.18 ERA, 184K and 15 wins in the past two years and the move from Oakland to Washington will not prevent a three-peat.

82. Madison Bumgarner, SP – SF. The Giants’ southpaw pitched his way through a mad bummer of an April, in which he was 0-4 with a 6.17 ERA, and finished at 13-13 with a 3.21 ERA and 191 K’s in 204 innings. His 9-4 record with a 2.52 ERA after the break was more along the lines of what GM Brian Sabean had in mind for Bumgarner, who turns 23 this August.

83. Billy Butler, 1B/DH – KC. Butler has been productive since his arrival in KC back in 2007. A .297 lifetime hitter who turns 26 this April, much of Billy’s success has come in mediocre lineups. This tells us two things: he’s still young enough that he hasn’t yet hit his true hitting prime, and he’ll benefit from having Hosmer to share the load in the middle of the Royals’ order. Perhaps Butler’s greatest service to fantasy owners in 2011 were the 11 games he started at first base, granting him eligibility at the position in most formats for 2012.

84. Yovani Gallardo, SP – MIL. Gallardo has made 30+ starts in each of the past three seasons, increasing his win total each year. In 2012 he set personal marks with 17 wins, a 3.52 ERA and 207 Ks, and will look to build off those numbers in his age-26 season.

85. Zack Greinke, SP – MIL. Greinke rebounded from a 10-14 year in 2010 to finish at 16-6 in his first year in Milwaukee. His 3.83 ERA was better than 4.17, but lightyears away from the almost non-existent 2.16 of his magical 2009. While it’s likely 2009 is his ceiling, he’ll get closer than he got in ’10 and ’11.

86. Howie Kendrick, 1B/2B/OF – LAA. Throughout his career, Kendrick has been known as a “guy who just might win a batting title someday.” After hitting .321 and .306 in half-seasons in ’07 and ’08 that seemed to be Howie’s path, but he’s dipped to .285 over the past three years, adding power to his game in 2011 with 18 HR. We’ll take the swap.

87. Joe Mauer, C/1B – MIN. If fantasy is any indicator, and it’s not, the Twins are in for a rough year. The first Gemini off our board is Joe Mauer, and he comes with a healthy amount of risk. Unfortunately for Mauer, the risk has been the only healthy thing about him over the past three seasons. Back to full strength heading into his age-28 season, Mauer Pauer may be the only show in two cities, but it’s a good one.

88. Buster Posey, C – SF. In his short career, Posey has gone from Best in Show to Waiting for Guffman. No longer Dazed and Confused, the House of Yes should be open again in 2012. All extended Parker Posey metaphors aside, don’t miss out when Superman Returns.

89. B.J. Upton, OF – TB. At 28, some ballplayers are just getting their first shot in the majors. Some feel like they have been here for ages. B.J. debuted all the way back in ’04 and was up for good in ’07. He now has five full seasons on the back of his card, and last year regained his power stroke adding 23 HR to 36 steals for the Rays. His .258 lifetime batting average is actually flattering, as he’s hit .241, .237 and .243 over the past three seasons. If he can hit .260 he’s a value, if he can hit .280, he’s a stud.

90. Ichiro, OF – SEA. Ichiro’s incredible streak of 10 consecutive 200+ hit seasons ended in 2011. In his 11th season in Seattle, Ichiro endured the worst of his professional career. He hit below .303 for the first time, finishing at .272, got on base at less than a .350 clip for the first time with a .310 OBP, and slugged below .386 for the first time with a .335 SLG%. At 38, it’s certainly reasonable to guess that the decline will continue, but we don’t. 40 steals last year means his wheels are far from shot, and we’re betting it was just a horrid year for the Mariners and it finally had an effect on Ichiro. 2012 will be a better year for the M’s and is a contract year for the surefire hall of famer. “They say the Jet’s lost a step or two, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see some fireworks here.” – S. Smalls

RomoBall Fantasy Preview - Eight Edition (71-80)

Of all the statistical categories we are targeting on draft day, saves are usually the most attainable in-season. Our strategy is to rate closers lower because of the high injury risk at the position and the subsequent high number of save-getters that will emerge during the year. In head-to-head leagues, passing on relief pitchers opens up more picks to stockpile position players and starters who will win you more of the other categories more of the time. Even in rotisserie leagues we advise that a great bullpen can be built with with late-round picks and one or two shrewd April pickups.

71. Asdrubal Cabrera, SS – CLE. Asdrubal obliterated his previous career highs across the board, but at 26 we’re not ready to deem 2011 his career year. Even if he doesn’t surpass the production of his breakout campaign, expect his numbers to look a lot more like the .273/25/92/17 he put up last season than his totals from years previous.

72. Jhonny Peralta, SS – DET. In his first full year in Detroit, Jhonny realized the dreams that the Indians had for him since his breakthrough 2005. Maybe it was being in a better lineup. But with Sizemore, Hafner, V-Mart and Choo around for much of his Cleveland tenure that seems unlikely. Maybe it was being around Miguel Cabrera, a truly elite righty bat. Most of the offensive talent around Jhonny were predominantly left handed hitters, so watching Miguel’s routines and talking about approach may have made the difference. Whatever the reason, Jimmy Leyland will take .299/21/86 again this year, and is undoubtedly expecting even more from his shortstop.

73. Matt Moore, SP – TB. 2011 will be the year Matt Moore cements himself as THE Matt Moore in the state of Florida. Even though the Dolphins draft strategy may do that on its own, Matt is the early favorite for Rowengartner honors in the junior circuit. That Joe Maddon handed him the ball and that he responded with a 7-inning 2-hit gem at Texas in Game 1 last year shows how polished he already is.

74. Craig Kimbrel, RP – ATL. In 2010 Kimbrel’s first major league action, in which he posted a 0.44 ERA with 40 K in 20.2 innings, was enough to earn him the primary closer’s role in Atlanta heading into 2011. It seemed unfair to Kimbrel to project those numbers over a full season, but the southern fireballer actually made good on those projections. He owned the ninth, posting 46 saves and and striking out 127 in 77 IP with a 2.10 ERA. A couple of blown saves in September cost the Braves the playoffs, meaning it’s plausible Craig is entering 2012 with a chip on his shoulder.

75. Mariano Rivera, RP – NYY. It feels like 42 years since MLB retired Jackie Robinson’s number, when just Moes Rivera and Vaughn and Butch Huskey were permitted to continue wearing it. Now 42, number 42 was barely touchable again in 2011, posting a microscopic 1.91 ERA and notching 44 saves with a minute 8 free passes. The all-time saves leader has gotten better with age, sporting a sub-2 ERA in 8 of the last 9 years.

76. Jose Valverde, RP – DET. Even if news were to come out that Valverde’s real name is World B. Free, he’d still be Papa Grande. With one of the best seasons as a closer in history, Jose became the second-most popular JV in Tiger Town. It’s nearly impossible for him to repeat the perfect 49 saves in 49 opportunities, but the addition of Prince should ensure a plethora of chances again in 2012.

77. Jonathan Papelbon, RP – PHI. Papelbon’s move from Boston to Philly shouldn’t do much to one of the top closers in the game. If there’s any impact, it’s a plus that he’s faced far fewer NL hitters over his career, so he should have the advantage as they get used to facing him.

78. C.J. Wilson, SP – LAA. Wilson’s relocation from Texas to Anaheim earned him $77.5 million McChickens but it also earned him 4 or 5 starts against the Rangers every year. Replacing the Angels with the Rangers on the schedule may result in a slight bump in ERA, but he should get run support and will still get his full helping of starts against the A’s and M’s.

79. David Ortiz, DH – BOS. Big Papi joined Ellsbury, Gonzalez and Pedroia as non-culprits on offense for the Red Sox in 2011. Enjoying a nice resurgence over the past two seasons, David hit .309/29/96 including .329 vs. lefties. If Crawford and Youkilis can get it going for new skipper Bobby Valentine, Boston will have six top-flight bats in their lineup and Papi will have loads of chances to be big.

80. Brian McCann, C – ATL. We don’t know what happened to McCann in the second half in 2011. After mashing at a .310 clip with 15 HR in the first half, he tanked out with a .203/9 line after the break. Still, .274/24/71 is more than serviceable from the catcher’s spot, and to see him at his best is to witness one of the best hitters in the game, not one of the best hitting catchers in the game. It’s unfortunate that some of the best hitters will always have their offensive numbers limited by the physical nature of the position.

RomoBall Fantasy Preview - Seventh Edition (61-70)

Spring Training is just a few days away, which means the first numbers of 2012 will soon start to roll in. But what to do with these numbers? Are spring stats worth reading into? Yes. If a player is performing well in the early going it means he’s healthy, which is huge. Also, spring baseball is still baseball, meaning hitters want to hit. Hitters always want to hit, so if a pitcher is getting outs he’s doing something right. Sure, some of the players are minor leaguers, but there are competitions going on across all levels of each organization for starting jobs, rotation slots and roster spots; these are players pitching and hitting for their very livelihoods, so even if their talent may not be top notch, youngsters’ efforts during camp can’t be questioned. The spring stat to not read into is if a proven pitcher is getting knocked around. It’s a rare opportunity for these guys to work on things against live hitters, (who want to hit, mind you) knowing that they are assured a rotation or bullpen spot. In the most general terms, read in to all success and ignore proven players’ slowish starts. If an unproven is having a bad spring, he’s not making the big club and he’s not worth drafting.


61. James Shields, SP – TB. One of the toughest pitchers in the game, Shields has been solid for the Rays in every season of his 6-year career. Perennially limited by his AL East address, James stayed in the zone all year in ’11, destroying his personal bests across the board and leading the way past Boston and into October baseball. As a general rule, it’s usually best to not overpay for a pitcher the year after he had “the” year. If you were wary about drafting Ubaldo or Greinke the year after their monster seasons, you did well. Take a similar strategy on Jamie in 2012. Don’t overpay.

62. Eric Hosmer, 1B – KC. Hosmer is nasty. He had the best rookie year for a Royal since Bob Hamelin, banging out a .293/19/91 line for the regal ones, and the guarantee that he won’t follow the pied piper and have a letdown sophomore season is the hoss himself. Watching him play a full game is like watching a yule log of competitiveness. He’s out to lead the Royals back to relevance. Starting….now.

63. Ian Kennedy, SP – ARI. Kennedy lived up to the promise the Yankees saw when they drafted him in 2006. Ian dazzled, baffled, battled and bulldogged his way to a 21-4 mark, leading the D-backs to a division title. It’s unfair to expect that he’ll get all the breaks again this year, but his stuff is legit and most of his starts will be made in the pitcher-friendly ballparks of the NL West.

64. Alex Avila, C – DET. When Detroit drafted Avila in the fifth round of the amateur draft, it wasn’t because his dad is their VP of operations and his kid needed a job after college, it was because he wouldn’t have been there in the sixth. In his first full season, AA was a reliable battery mate for the Tigers staff and gave them a big charge by hitting .295/19/82 in 141 games. With Victor Martinez out for the year, expect an even bigger workload in 2012.

65. Adam Jones, OF – BAL. Jones was part of the five-player package sent from Seattle to Baltimore for the services of Erik Bedard back in ’08. Although Sherrill was useful, Tillman hasn’t panned out yet and Kam Mickolio and Tony Butler probably never will, even if it was just Jones for Bedard straight up it was still a good deal for the O’s. .280/25/83/12
is pretty close and in some ways better than Andrew McCutchen‘s line from last year, and McCutch is going much higher in drafts.

66. David Price, SP – TB. David managed just 12 wins for the Rays in ’11 despite a 3.49 ERA. Five starts against the Yankees and five against the Red Sox will do that to a guy. He’s in for around the same number of starts vs. the beasts of the AL East again in 2012, and the Jays and Orioles can hit a bit too. If he ever moves to the NL, he goes from an ideal number two starter to a true ace.

67. David Wright, 3B – NYM. Wright will surely go higher than 67th overall in your league. Let him. In the past three seasons, Wright has averaged 18 HR and 19 SB while hitting .282, a far cry from his .325/30/107/34 career year in 2007. Shortened fences at Citi Field will keep homers on the brain, and anything on the brain has typically been bad for Do-Right’s numbers. He’s the only Mets bat worth owning, which in and of itself further depreciates his value. The departure of Reyes and Beltran will make returning from a back injury and returning to top form difficult for David.

68. Shin-Soo Choo, OF – CLE. The Choo train was slowed by injuries in 2011. A true 5-tool talent, he’s looking to rebound from a career-worst .259/8/36/12 and get back to the nearly identical .300/20/86/21 and .300/22/90/22 he put up in ’09 and ’10. Apparently the passing of Kim Jong Il has calmed the need for Choo in the South Korean army, making fantasy leagues the only place he’ll be drafted this year.

69. Freddie Freeman, 1B – ATL. Fantasy owners got Freddie for free last year, either drafting him in the late rounds or adding him off the free agent wire. Not happening this year after Freddie stayed steady his entire rookie year hitting .282/21/76. His teammate Heyward got more ink and his other teammate Kimbrel got the rookie hardware, but Freddie is the first Braves youngster off our board.

70. Ben Zobrist, 2B/RF – TB. Zobrist rebounded from a down 2010, mixing in more good streaks than bad and finishing with a.269/20/91/19 line for the Rays. He’s now a threat to make a run at 20-20 every year, establishing himself as a legit fantasy option at second. The 46 doubles he added to his 20 HR in 2011 make it reasonable to expect his power numbers to improve again, and could approach the career high 27 he hit in 2009.

RomoBall Fantasy Preview - Sixth Edition (51-60)

Having a game plan on draft day is generally a good thing (it means you have done some prep) but it can also be dangerous. We recommend doing the homework and skipping the game plan for one reason: 90% of the picks won’t be made by you. You could enter your draft with a vision of your team and start making unnecessary reaches if a few of “your guys” get taken early, and you might miss out on guys who slip because you’re locking up players that can be had later. The reality is, you will have to watch your rivals draft your favorites. It’s inevitable. We all know this going in. It doesn’t matter that you used to walk Miguel Cabrera to his bus stop every day when he was a little kid and owned him since he first got called up in ’03. Someone else will own him this year, and the sooner we can make peace with this reality, the closer we have already gotten to our goal. The best approach is the simplest; always draft the best player on the board. If you end up with a surplus at a position you’ll have depth, potential trade chips and play keep-away from the rest of your league.


51. Brett Lawrie, 3B – TOR. One of the top prospects in the game, Lawrie did not disappoint in his first major league action. At 21, Brett electrified his fellow Canadians by hitting .326 with 6 HR in his first month, finishing at .293 with 9 HR and 7 SB in 150 at bats when a finger injury ended his season. Lawrie for Shawn Marcum was a great move for Toronto; they swapped a quality pitcher for an everyday player with the potential to be one of the game’s best.

52. Cole Hamels, SP – PHI. Hamels had a career year in his age-27 season, registering personal bests with a 2.79 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and .214 opponents’ batting average. As awesome as he was, the most remarkable stat for Hamels was that he went just 14-9 for the 102-win Phillies. Cole rejoins fellow aces Halladay and Lee in a rotation that should be good for 3 wins (or better) every turn again in 2012.

53. Yu Darvish, SP – TEX. When the Rangers bid over $50 million just to talk to the best pitcher in Japan, they effectively said to the rest of the league, “the change in your pocket isn’t enough. Forget Yu.” Those other GMs can forget signing the half-Iranian hurler at any point in the near future, which is right around the time he should be going nuclear. History shows that unhittable Japanese imports are least hittable in their first year, making this the one to grab Darvish at a bargain compared to where he’ll go in 2013.

54. Alex Gordon, LF – KC. It’s taken nearly 30 years, but the Royals once again have a good group of fantasy players. Wait, did they have fantasy baseball back in ’85? Oh right, it was called rotisserie and there was actually chicken involved. Back to the point, Gordon finally broke through in 2011 by hitting .303/23/87/17, and finds himself at the top of the KC talent totem.

55. Dan Haren, SP – LAA. Since joining the Angels, Dan Haren has put up a heavenly 3.02 ERA with a 1.09 WHIP, and has held opposing hitters to a .236 average. Dan’s career best 192-33 K/BB ratio resulted in a 16-10 record for the Halos in 2011 and he should make a run at 20 in ’12.

56. Ryan Zimmerman, 3B – WAS. Zimmerman has put up quality full seasons in four of his first six. When he’s healthy, he’s one of the best third basemen in the game, and should get more opportunities to produce with an improving supporting cast in DC. Still just 27, it’s likely that he’s able to put the injuries behind him, and it’s equally likely that we have yet to see his ceiling.

57. Paul Konerko, 1B – CWS. Consistency spelled with a K. It’s been 13 seasons since the Reds traded Paulie for Mike Cameron, and he has been outstanding for the White Sox in 11 of them. After an injury-shortened 2008, he’s found the fountain of youth. He blasted a surreal .312/39/111 at age 34 and backed it up with .300/31/105 at 35 for an underwhelming Sox club in ’11. Konerko’s skills haven’t deteriorated and he’s actually become an even smarter hitter, meaning we’re not scared of 36. He might hit that many homers.

58. Matt Cain, SP – SF. In 2011, Cain was able to put up numbers similar to his uber-teammate Tim Lincecum. Raising Cain’s standing as a fantasy staple was his 12-13 mark, 2.88 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 179 K, which stacked up nicely against The Freak, who finished a rare non-Cy campaign at 13-14, 2.74/1.21 with 221 K. While it’s unlikely that their numbers will be this close again this year, there is room for both starters to improve in 2012.

59. Carl Crawford, OF – BOS. Like Dan Uggla, Carl Crawford pulled off the rare offseason trifecta of moving to a better team with a better ballpark to hit in while staying in the same division. Like Dan, he absolutely tanked in the first half, but Carl never got off the mat. His first year in Boston was a complete waste and a lingering wrist injury has now put him in jeopardy of missing Spring Training and the start of the season. On the second year of a 7/$142 million deal, Crawford now has to prove that that he’s not an old 30.

60. Alex Rodriguez, 3B – NYY. A significant portion of A-Rod’s lifetime production can be attributed directly to his usage of medicinal quality hair care products. These hair treatments have vaulted his numbers into hallowed territory, of this we are certain. When asked to comment if he had ever engaged in any behavior that toed the line of legality his only comment was, “I don’t want FOP, dammit. I’m a Dapper Dan man!” The league’s decision to begin testing for both “FOP” and “Dapper Dan” and a body-less .276/16/62 in 2011 make us skeptical of his ability to even approach career norms at age 36. He’ll make $29 million this year and is under contract through 2017, meaning he’s probably going to have at least one more good one, and logic dictates it would be the youngest year he’s got left. Which is this one.

RomoBall Fantasy Preview - Fifth Edition (41-50)

Sometimes fantasy logic is simple. The DH rule helps AL lineups turn over more than NL lineups over the course of the season. We’re not saying draft all Orioles, but the DH has allowed a few AL teams to create some 9-deep scenarios for opposing pitchers, resulting in more frequent 5 and 6 at-bat games. Texas is where it’s at, offering up 8 bats worth drafting and their primo studs won’t even cost you a first rounder. The Montero-for-Pineda swap leaves the Yankees at 8 bats worth owning; V-Mart out and Prince in keeps Detroit at 7 and the Red Sox have 6 fantasy bats. These are the teams where we advise doubling up and having more than one piece in your lineup. In the National League, only the Marlins, Reds, Braves and Nationals offer opportunities to double up in this way, but the chances to do so are fewer, and their monster games will be limited by pitcher’s slot at bats. With Albert and Prince now joining Miguel in the Junior Circuit, the 2012 All Star lineups are already lopsided on paper, so adjust your strategy accordingly.


41. Michael Bourn, CF – ATL. A man is Bourn! He’s a man with wheels. Then along comes you, take him on a contract-year…All extended 80′s TV theme song parodies aside, there’s a guy you take and a guy not taken; the choice is up to you, my friend. Makin’ your way in the league these days takes everything you’ve got. Wouldn’t you like to find a way? Move on up. Take Bourn and find your team’s identity, issue the ultimatum and hit the road to supremacy.

42. Carlos Santana, C/1B – CLE. Santana has the look of a real mauler at the plate. He’s a naturally gifted switch hitter with an advanced batting eye. He should take the next step offensively this season to sport a big batting average to go along with big production. And unlike the other Carlos Santana, he looks nothing like the late Moammar Ghadafi.

43. Pablo Sandoval, 3B – SF. Reports that Sandoval actually ate his hamate bone last season were grossly underreported. Despite that tragedy, Pablo rebounded from the broken hand in a big way, hitting .315/23/70 in just 426 at bats. When asked if he had resorted to krav maga to get his numbers up, the Kung Fu Panda replied, “I don’t know, I’m just smashing the balls.”

44. Brandon Phillips, 2B – CIN. Originally a Montreal farmhand, Brandon was dealt by Omar Minaya (along with Grady Sizemore and Cliff Lee) to the Tribe for Bartolo Colon. Years later, an established Brandon is on a contract year, and while he may be able to get something done before the season, he’s preparing for this year like will hit the market after it.

45. Desmond Jennings, OF – TB. Being Tampa’s top prospect is kind of like being the best Simpsons episode. It means you’re damn good, you’re in loads of good company and not everyone is in agreement. The difference between Jennings and Homer vs. the 18th Amendment is there isn’t any pressure on Rex Banner to perform in 2012. His work is done. Desmond’s is just beginning, so let’s project his .259, 10 HR and 20 SB out to .259/20/40 for 2012, a conservative estimate given it’s double his output in 247 at bats, and a full season for a leadoff hitter would be more like 600.

46. Michael Morse, 1B/LF – WAS. M-I-C (see you real soon, baseball) K-E-Y (why? because you homered again) M-O-R-S-E. Membership in the Mickey Morse Club exploded in 2011. He made good on his .289/15/41 in half an ’09 by clobbering to the tune of .303/31/95 in his first full major league season at age 29. His pronounced crouch gives the 6’5″ slugger surprisingly good plate coverage, so it’s not unreasonable to expect that he hits a productive .290+ again this year.

47. Rickie Weeks, 2B – MIL. It came to a decision between Brandon and Rickie in ’11 and RomoBall bet on Brandon to be there all year. Weeks indeed missed significant time, playing in just 118 games and putting up a disappointing .269/20/49 line. This year, Weeks comes in with no Braun for the first 50 games and no Prince at all. Rickie’s aggressive approach reduces his reliance on protection in the order, but it can’t be denied that having Braun and Fielder behind you results in better pitches to hit. We’d love to see him bat leadoff for the Brew Crew this year, who will want to get the homer happy 2B as many at bats as they can.

48. Jay Bruce, RF – CIN. Bruce took a step forward in power and a step backward in batting average in 2011, finishing with a .256/32/97 line for the Reds. A repeat would make Jay a fine 5th round choice, and we expect him to exceed last year’s totals in his age-25 season. Good lineup. Great hitter’s park. Excellent pick.

49. Matt Holliday, LF – STL. Holliday actually seemed better without Pujols in 2011, and the Cards are hoping he continues that trend now that Albert is gone for good to Los Angeles…Anaheim. Wherever. The World Champs went from Old School to just old this offseason, bringing back Lance and adding Carlos Beltran to go with the 32 year-old Holliday who is inked long term. 33 comes after 32 and the numbers go up after that, so grab him this year and hope the Cards are out to prove they are more than Albert Inc. and not the Hangover Part II.

50. Jon Lester, SP – BOS. The Red Sox are betting that Bobby Valentine improves on their 90-72 record. More wins for the Red Sox will surely translate into more wins for their ace lefthander, who is coming off a 15-9 mark in a down year in the city of beans.

RomoBall Fantasy Preview - Fourth Edition (31-40)

Fantasy owners who always draft the feel-good stories rarely claim the big prize. Playing to win means you may not always want to hang out with all the players on your roster, but ask anyone who took a shot on has-been Lance Berkman or also-ran Mike Morse early last year and odds are they ended at or near the top of their league. While we want to stay ahead of the curve and collect all the guys whose ceiling we haven’t seen yet, we have to pick our spots. A few youngsters make it into the top 40, but remember that a reach is only a reach if the player doesn’t produce. If someone says it’s a reach on draft day, that’s just a comment.


31. Dan Uggla, 2B – ATL. All signs pointed to Uggla having a huge year in 2011. Florida’s decision to deal him to their in-division rival had Braves fans salivating over 81 games at Turner Field for the slugging second baseman more than lamenting the loss of Omar Infante. In one of their salary-cutting sprees the Marlins deemed themselves unable to resign Uggla, but should have dealt with one of the 25 teams not in the NL East. Uggla didn’t make the Fish pay in 2011, hitting the same .233 against them as he did everyone else, but he finally got hot and hit 21 bombs after the break to finish with a career high 36. While he’ll always be streaky, Uggla did hit a career-best .287 in 2010; if he can hit to his lifetime .258 average, this season will be an absolute monster.

32. Mike Napoli, C/1B – TEX. When the Angels traded Napoli to Toronto for Vernon Wells they likely didn’t imagine he would be shipped to their rival Texas four days later. Napoli got off to a bad start hitting just .232 before the break, but pounded the baseball in the second half hitting an epic .383 with 18 homers in 214 at bats. 30 HR in 369 at bats is just a Kinerian pace, and now that Prince has landed in Detroit, he has the fantasy gaga combination of a first basemen’s numbers and games played with catcher eligibility.

33. Mark Teixeira, 1B – NYY. Teixeira looks like he’s trying to hit home runs. He takes a deep breath, fills his cheeks with air like Dizzy Gillespie on every pitch and lets out a mighty ‘mmboof’ on each swing. After hitting .252 over the last two seasons with a dreadful .341 OBP in 2011, we’d like to smash those cheeks like Blutarski. Still, there’s no arguing with Mark’s results in the power category and there’s always the chance he dials it up and hits .280.

34. Michael Young, 1B/2B/3B – TEX. Michael Young played all over the diamond in 2011 including 14 starts at second base, which should be enough to earn him 2B eligibility for 2012 in your league. He’s great in dailies where he can be plugged into various slots, but that’s just bonus. He hit .338 last year and is the most consistent guy in the Ballpark. A top level 2B in a great lineup.

35. Nelson Cruz, RF – TEX. All athletes risk injury, and to a great extent all major leaguers are at the same level of risk. Nelson is an exception. He always seems to get nicked up and land at around 475 at bats, teasing what he could have done with a full complement of plate appearances. 2012 is a contract year for Nelson, so our bet is that he’s spent this offseason working on his conditioning. Ha-ha.

36. Ryan Braun, LF – MIL. Ryan has a few things working against him heading into this season. He will likely miss the first 50 games for failing his testosterone test and he won’t have Prince protecting him. Most importantly, if his suspension is upheld and he was indeed cheating, how much did the juice increase Ryan’s brawn? The upside here is obvious, and the good news is that you’ll draft outfield depth to cover the first 50 games and have a very motivated individual for the last 100.

37. Starlin Castro, SS – CHC. Starlin by starlight gave Cubs fans a thrill in his second year, hitting a .307/10/66/22 line with 91 runs scored in his age-21 season. Theo Epstein at the top of the organization makes it a whole different ballgame for the Cubbies, and yes the cliché is allowed if it’s also a double entendre. (A negative times a negative equals a positive!). All extended Stand and Deliver metaphors aside, the Cubs now have the ganas. It’s a long road for an organization in need of fundamental change in pretty much all areas, but it’s also baseball and the players on the field should get some bounce out of working for the man who ended the Red Sox drought and now sets out to end the longest World Series drought ever.

38. Elvis Andrus, SS – TEX. Once Atlanta’s top prospect, Elvis left the building along with Neftali Feliz and Matt Harrison in exchange for Mark Teixeira at the ’07 deadline. At the ’08 deadline the Braves shipped big Teixy to Anaheim for Casey Kotchman. Kotchman is a legend in Tampa/St. Pete. Legend. Elvis hit .279 with 37 steals last year, and with Neftali and Matt helped get Texas to the World Series, where Atlanta might have gotten had they never made that trade. Or had they gotten anything close back for Teixeira.

39. Stephen Strasburg, SP – WAS. Strasburg came back from Tommy John surgery and tossed up a 1.50 ERA over 24 innings at the end of 2011. He enters 2012 completely healthy and primed to put his ridiculous filth on display for a full season. Strasburg, Zimmermann, Gio Gonzalez, Edwin Jackson and John Lannan comprise a neat rotation for the Nats, who are looking to get serious under Davey Johnson.

40. Andrew McCutchen, CF – PIT. McCutch is an outstanding centerfielder and the centerpiece of the Bucs offense, and that’s the drawback with drafting him. He’s limited by his surroundings and in 2011 took a step backward with a .259 average after hitting .286 in his first two major league seasons. He did increase his HR total from 16 to 23, so maybe he was trying to do it all himself and that’s to blame for the drop in average. Andrew is a true threat to go 20/30 this year, but getting to 100/100 in RBI and runs will be tough as a Pirate.

RomoBall Fantasy Preview - Third Edition (21-30)

Fantasy championships aren’t won in the first three rounds, but they are lost there. Over the first two rounds we have done our best to minimize risk, knowing we can’t afford a bust with one of our top two picks. In the third round, we are still in search of write-it-down guys that are sure to produce at-worst passable stats, but we also open up our board to slightly riskier, high-ceiling players looking to vault themselves back into elite territory in 2012.


21. Evan Longoria, 3B – TB. Evan Longoria firmly reestablishes the ‘n’ in 2012. After putting in complete seasons in ’09 and ’10, Evan hobbled through a good amount of the 133 games he played in 2011, managing just a .244 average to go along with 31 HR and 99 RBI; still monster totals from the hot corner. He returned to health and form in September and blasted the Rays into the postseason and we expect a healthier season and .280/30/100 in 2012.

22. Adrian Beltre, 3B – TEX. 487 at bats in 124 games resulted in a .296/32/105 campaign for Beltre in 2011, which was more productive than the 28 HR and 102 RBI he put up in 100 more at bats for Boston in 2010. Spell check insists his name is “Belter,” but we’ll stay with his spelling. It’s like theatre and theater and we’ll leave it at that. Point is, this guy can flat-out rake. He can get down on one knee and hit it out of Jellystone Park. And that’s a cartoon.

23. Josh Hamilton, LF – TEX. When he’s right, he’s one of the most dominant offensive forces in the game. Hamilton’s inability to play a full season keeps him out of the top 20, but he still put up a useful .295/25/94 line in 121 games in 2011 and is just one year removed from his AL MVP-winning .359/32/100 in 133 games in 2010. Hamilton’s contract expires after this season meaning he might just sniff 150 games.

24. Jose Reyes, SS – MIA. Reyes was the first huge signing of the offseason and his arrival in Miami is as big a win for the Fish as it is a loss for the Mets. He’s electric, a true 5-tool player that can do it all on a baseball diamond, but he has missed more than his share of time due to injuries over his career and has also at times put himself ahead of his team. Ozzie Guillen‘s job is to break through to Jose Reyes and Hanley Ramirez and somehow get them to remember having fun playing the game. Ozzie Guillen has a tough job. But he’s the right man to do it.

25. Ian Kinsler, 2B – TEX. Kinsler rejoined the 30-30 club in 2011 after a speed-power outage in 2010 when he managed just 9 HR and 15 SB. He has now gone 30-30 in two of the past three years as a 2B and is behind only Cano and Pedroia at the position.

26. Tim Lincecum, SP – SF. The ’08 and ’09 NL Cy Young winner lowered his ERA from 3.43 in 2010 to 2.74 in 2011, holding opposing hitters to a .222 average and striking out 220 in 217 innings. A repeat of any one of his first four seasons will make him a worthwhile choice in the third round and perhaps the best choice to lead your staff in 2012 because of the value he brings to your team by allowing you to draft two bats before taking your first pitcher.

27. Hunter Pence, RF – PHI. A .292 hitter for his career, it won’t take Pence long in Philly to push it over .300. In 2011, Hunter hit .300 in 100 games for the woeful Astros offense before being traded to the Phillies, where he hit .324 the rest of the way, knocking out 11 homers in just 207 at bats after hitting 11 in 399 ABs in Houston. Even with an ailing Ryan Howard out until at least May and a fading Chase Utley in need of a big rebound, Philly is a major upgrade for Hunter, who has averaged 156 games since becoming a full-time player in 2008.

28. Hanley Ramirez, SS – MIA. When Hanley Ramirez agreed to be Godfather to Jose Reyes’ daughter, he didn’t say “also, can you come to Miami, take my position and spot in the batting order and do it for more money than I make?” It’s a hot lump of coal to swallow for Hanley, but the reality is that Reyes is the far superior defensive shortstop, the more prototypical leadoff hitter and the potential catalyst for a Marlins team that is clearly making a push for the postseason in the innaugural year of their new ballpark. If the two can co-exist they will both be values in the third round.

29. CC Sabathia, SP – NYY. CC Sabathia has thrown at least 180 innings every year of his career, a streak that reached 11 in ’11 when he went 19-8 with a 3.00 ERA while fanning 230 in 237 frames. He’s one of the most consistent pitchers in the game, evidenced by single-digit losses in each of the past five seasons, and he’s in for another run at 20 wins with single-digit losses in 2012.

30. Felix Hernandez, SP – SEA. If King Felix was a Ben & Jerry’s flavor he’d be “Everything but the…Wins.” 13 in 2010 followed by 14 in 2011 have disappointed his owners but his good peripherals keep him among the fantasy aces. We don’t expect much in the way of run support again in 2012, but we do expect Felix to lower his ERA from a 4-year high 3.47, even with Albert Pujols‘ arrival in his division.

RomoBall Fantasy Preview - Second Edition (11-20)

In the first round you draft your flagbearer. The guy you would go to war with. The guy you would follow into hell on foot. Okay, that might be pushing it, but the point is, this is war, and you need a flagbearer. Someone’s got to carry the flag. In the second round, draft this year’s second round; don’t select former elites that are either aging, injury risks or on 50-game suspension (read: A-Rod, Hanley, Reyes, Braun). Open your draft board to include the first tier of starting pitchers, but given the wealth of talent at the position, don’t be the owner to start a run on pitching.


11. Troy Tulowitzki, SS – COL. You know I don’t take a Tulo lightly. The only stat we don’t like is his at bats; they’re too low. Troy got to 30 HR and 100 RBI in about 100 ABs less than a full season’s worth in 2011 and this seems as good a year as any for him to play 150+ games.

12. Mike Stanton, RF – MIA. Stanton put up a .262/34/87 line in his first full season despite various leg injuries and an eye issue that cost him not only at bats, but at bats at 100%. The Marlins’ new ballpark and a hopefully healthy Hanley and Jose should translate into a huge year for Stanton, who is a solid bet to hit 40 HR in 2012.

13. Dustin Pedroia, 2B – BOS. This guy may have been the reason Bobby Valentine came to Boston. He’s a gamer, he never gets cheated on his swings, and he will produce no matter where he’s asked to hit in the lineup. And yes, every Red Sox players’ analysis will include some mention of Bobby Valentine. Deal.

14. Justin Verlander, SP – DET. Just 5-3 after 12 starts, JV went 19-2 after June 1st, finishing 24-5 with 250 strikeouts, a 2.40 ERA and .920 WHIP in 251 innings, with four complete games, two shutouts and one no-hitter. Justin’s brilliance earned him Cy Young and MVP honors, becoming the first pitcher to take home both trophies since Dennis Eckersley in ’92. He also became the number one pitcher in fantasy.

15. Clayton Kershaw, SP – LAD. In 2011, Kershaw evolved from a ‘tough-to-hit’ ’6-inning’ ‘high K-rate’ ‘no-decision’ type guy to the second ranked pitcher in the game. Clayton went 21-5, had a microscopic 2.28 ERA and fanned 248 in 233 innings, which were all tops in the NL. Ok, Ian Kennedy tied him with 21 wins, but we’re not drafting Ian Kennedy 15th now are we.

16. Roy Halladay, SP – PHI. Halladay was brilliant again in 2011, showing no signs of decline in his age-34 season. Doc posted a 2.35 ERA while going 19-6 (including 8 complete games) for the Phillies, and while he absolutely can repeat in 2012, we like the younger Verlander and the far younger Kershaw a droplet or two more.

17. Jered Weaver, SP – LAA. The ace race isn’t over yet. Jered has lowered his ERA by at least .60 in each of the past three seasons, dropping at a rate proportional to opposing managers’ jaws. The two important stats to consider when drafting Jered to lead your staff are this: he held opposing hitters to a .212 batting average over 235.2 innings last year. Meaning he’s tough to hit and they had plenty of chances to try and figure him out. Even if he breaks his ERA-lowering trend and just repeats his 2.41 ERA, he’ll surely repeat his 18-8 mark and probably break 20 wins with Albert on board.

18. Cliff Lee, SP – PHI. Five teams in three years is tough to pull off. Even for Todd Zeile. The hired gun has been parley’d more than Captain Jack Sparrow, but settled in right where he left off in Philly in ’09. Lee joined Verlander, Kershaw, Halladay and Weaver as the only pitchers to throw 230+ innings with a sub-2.41 ERA in 2011; a feat that may not be accomplished by anyone in 2012, but these guys are the best bet. Give Weaver the edge over Lee with Philly’s offense on the downtick.

19. Carlos Gonzalez, LF – COL. CarGo says he’s full-go for spring training, which tells us that he will improve on the .295/26/92/20 line he put up last season. While he may not return to the heights of his .336/34/117/26 breakout 2010, anywhere in between represents a good buy at just about any point in the second round. If he’s your guy, secure in round two.

20. Justin Upton, RF – ARI. Justin’s most important number in 2011 was 159. Games played. For the first time in his still very young career, he topped 140 games played, and in doing so also notched career highs with a 31/88/21 HR/RBI/SB line. Justin has put his disappointing 2010 behind him and while he may always be a streaky player, we’re willing to bet that his streaks start and end at .290 or better in 2012.

RomoBall Fantasy Preview - First Edition (1-10)

The Testing Era is in full swing. And miss. You’re out. Again. Sit down. Justin Verlander, Clayton Kershaw, Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, Jered Weaver, CC Sabathia, Jamie Shields and Cole Hamels all checked in with sub-3.00 ERAs in 2011 and all could repeat in 2012. None of them find themselves in the Romo/Ramblings Fantasy Top 10. The reason? Jon Lester, Felix Hernandez, C.J. Wilson, Ian Kennedy, Matt Cain, Dan Haren, Madison Bumgarner, Gio Gonzalez, Zack Greinke and the boatload of guys poised for huge years throwing the baseball. If not for Prince, you could fit the elite bats in the league in a phone booth. Premier hitters are now that much more valuable, so grab some lumber with your first pick.

The 2012 Romo/Ramblings Fantasy Rankings are chemically engineered to win you ANY league, regardless of format. The players have been ranked according to their up-to-date baseball efficiency rating, or “UBER” score.

1. Albert Pujols, 1B – LAA. Albert, Angel of Anaheim (Triple-A) is both a major league win for LA and totally Busch by St. Louis. Despite seeing his average dip to .299 and falling short of 100 RBI for the first time since Trebek shaved his moustache, Albert overcame a broken wrist in 2011 to lead St. Louis to their second championship of the now-defunct APE (Albert Pujols Era). A killer in interleague, we have no anxiety at all about Al in the AL.

2. Matt Kemp, OF – LAD. In 2011, Matt Kemp stopped doing Rihanna and started doing everything else. For those that voted Ryan Braun in as NL MVP (before he tested positive), Braun had similar (if not worse) numbers, a better lineup, a better ballpark and Fielder for protection while Kemp had Peter Noone. Something tells me he’s in for something good in 2012.

3. Jacoby Ellsbury, OF – BOS. There wasn’t much in-between for the Red Sox in 2011. Leading the charge of the players that “did it” is Jacoby. Bobby Valentine has a reputation for getting the most out of his players, but that will be tougher than a diner steak with Ellsy in ’12. But if he does repeat, or take even just another small step forward on what projects to be a seriously up year for Boston, you’ll regret not making him your first round pick.

4. Miguel Cabrera, 1B – DET. Here’s how you go from last to first: For the last 8 years, Miguel has been a first round pick. At 29, there’s actually reason to believe he could get better, as his batting averages are trending up over the past three seasons (.324, .328, .344).

5. Jose Bautista, 3B/OF – TOR. Bautista followed his eye-popping breakout 2010 (.260/54/124) with a season that was in many ways better for the Jays in 2011. Joey Bats raised his average to .302, still led the majors with 43 homers and in doing so became the first hitter to repeat as ML Home Run King since McGwire in ’98-’99. And that’s the only thing he and McGwire have in common. Except their profession. Also that they both like “Storage Wars.”

6. Curtis Granderson, CF – NYY. Curtis found it in 2011. He didn’t “return to form” or “finally get comfortable in New York,” he worked that hard and changed his approach. Detractors will point to his .262 batting average, but 41 HR, 119 RBI, 25 SB and a self-eye-gouging 136 runs carried his owners for long stretches in 2011. On an overall philosophy note, all of these guys are going to hit between .260 and .340 and there’s really no telling which from year to year, so don’t draft for batting average, but rather, draft for the player’s dynamism at their position.

7. Robinson Cano, 2B – NYY. Position dynamism at its finest, and right on cue! How ’bout that? (Mel Allen). Robinson is the best 2B in the game today and is making his case for being the best 2B in New York or anywhere since Robinson (Jackie). Cano offers 1B-type production from the significantly shallower 2B slot.

8. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B – BOS. For years, Gonzalez had been the character Fleming cut out of The Wizard of Oz, singing “If I only had a lineup” to himself in the cavernously lonely trailer known as PetCo. All extended film metaphors aside, “Baby, we had always wondered. Wondered, what’d ever become of him. If he got into a better lineup, what a hitter he’d turn out to be.” Ok, ALL extended metaphors aside, the guy is legit. Draft with confidence.

9. Joey Votto, 1B – CIN. Miguel’s 2007 trade to Detroit followed by Adrian’s departure for Boston and now Albert’s relocation to Anaheim have left Joey the best first baseman in the senior circuit. If Prince goes to the AL this offseason, he’ll really have it all to himself with Ryan Howard ailing and just Freddie Freeman and Paul Goldschmidt to challenge him. Expect more of a 2010 than 2011 from Votto in 2012, which means (you guessed it) he’ll be livin’ on the air!

10. Prince Fielder, 1B – FA. Prince’s behavior seems to suggest that he’d prefer not to be ‘the’ guy, yet he’s definitely seeking the-guy money. Wherever he lands, his value won’t be affected much; the low end being Seattle and the high end being Texas. On a non-fantasy note, it does beg the question: does having Prince on your team make financial sense? For if this is so, why wouldn’t the Brew-has call their old buddies at the Miller Brewing Company and propose a deal by which the Brewers are loaned money to pay Prince’s salary, which will surely be returned in ticket revenue, apparel sales, and sales of the very beer they produce? ITTET (In these tough economic times), would not Prince Fielder be as safe an investment as any? Particularly now with Ryan Braun facing a 50-game ban, the Brewers should really pick up the phone and do a Brenda Lee.